The JOON Story

We believe that young girls should take center stage.

We know that girls as young as age four are starting to experiment with skin care products. We also know that most products for young girls are simply adult products repackaged, and often filled with unhealthy and potentially toxic ingredients.

JOON was created to encourage young girls to develop healthy skin care habits at an early age. Our products are made just for girls ages 6 – 12 years old. Not their teenage sisters, not their moms – JUST FOR THEM. We’ve removed the bad stuff – you won’t find parabens, phalates, artificial color, or sodium lauryl (laureth) sulphates in any of our products – and replaced it with natural alternatives.

As parents, we are inspired by kids and the amazing potential that they possess. As a company we are passionate about creating a brand that empowers and encourages young girls to make positive and healthy choices, so they can set the standard for other girls to follow.

Our story is just beginning. Check back to see where it goes.

Our Philosophy on Natural

JOON is passionate about providing young girls with healthy skin care options. We believe that replacing the yucky toxins and chemicals (like parabens, phalates, artificial color and sodium laurel sulphates to name just a few) is essential.

Of course, the category that we’re in is “natural”. As members of the Natural Products Association, we are working hard to have the Natural Seal on our products, which means that they are at least 95% natural. However, we prefer to consider our products and our brand “Healthy” because our brand is about more than just our products -it’s about a way of life and a way of living. On the ingredients front, we make sure that any synthetic ingredients that we use do not cause any potential health problems and are non-toxic. We have worked closely with our chemist to incorporate certain synthetic ingredients are naturally derived and safely used for specific reasons. JOON is a member of the Natural Products Association. We are working closely with their team of scientists to ensure that our products are 95% natural and contain only the synthetic ingredients that meet their high standards. When we do choose to use synthetic ingredients, we do so for the following reasons:

1. To increase the shelf life of our products
2. To avoid unnecessary waste (if your product goes bad quickly or does not work, you can’t use all of it!)
3. To make our products feel delicious on your skin!

We will always be open and honest about the ingredients we use. To see what’s in our products, click here.

Our Founders

Tameka

The idea of JOON began percolating when I had my first child. I never considered myself a hard core natural or green consumer and I still see myself somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, but when he was born, I found myself being hyper-aware of what I used on his skin. I didn’t want to mess up anything so new and perfect, so I gravitated to the natural section of my grocery store and began reading labels and researching brands and products online. I also made the decision to make all of his food from scratch.

This was out of character for me, but that experience really changed my orientation as a consumer. As a marketer, I started noticing the lack of healthy brands for kids, particularly young girls. The baby-care market seemed to be filled with good options, but once girls reached an age where they were able to choose products for themselves, there was a black hole. So, the idea of JOON came to light.

JOON was created to provide a brand where young girls can experiment in a safe way, without added toxic ingredients that could potentially cause long-term health problems. Skin care is just the beginning. My goal is to continue to evolve our company into the first healthy lifestyle brand for young girls.

Gary

As a dad, I want to do the best I can for my children. I want to do my part to make sure that this next generation of kids grows up to lead the most healthy and happy life possible. That means it is up to me to start making changes. One person at a time, right? My wife and I are so thrilled with JOON because we know that we have created something that will make a difference. From its incipience, JOON has been about giving girls a healthier way to explore the skin care world, and that is something we are proud to be a part of.

Our Advisors

Jen

Jennifer is a strategist and activist focused on developingﾊsustainable relationships between people, products and brands. By day, Jennifer works on other brand collaboration communities with Drillteam Marketing and is an Adjunct Professor teaching sustainable design at NYU IPD.

By night, she serves on the boards of o2NYC and The Designers Accord, writes for various green design blogs, and lives in a tree trunk in the West Village of New York City. Jennifer received her BA in comparative religion from Trinity College, and received her MBA in international wrangling from HEC in Paris.

Richie

Richie Grantham, a digital expert for JOON, is an innovative pioneer who saw the unharnessed potential of the digital ecosystem at its genesis and made it an area of specialization.

He has spent a significant portion of his career path pursuing IP creation in the technology field, has presented the power of brand storytelling through digital interfaces to the MIT Media Lab and developed compelling digital marketing strategies for clients like Toyota, LVMH, MTV Networks, and Mattel.

Simon

Simon is our go-to source for the inside scoop on the goings on in the naturals category. He advises us on everything from ingredients to sales to marketing to logistics.

Simon is the co-founder of Bulldog Natural Grooming (www.meetthebulldog.com). All Bulldog products are body friendly and contain no controversial man-made chemicals such as parabens, sodium laureth sulfate, artificial colors, or synthetic fragrances. They are loaded with essential oils and other amazing natural actives at levels that really work.

The range is currently available nationwide in Boots, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Superdrug, Whole Foods, Planet Organic, Ocado, and Debenhams. Bulldog won Pure Beauty Magazine’s award for Best Male Grooming Launch 2007, the RSCPA Good Business Award for 2008, and the HSBC Start Up Star Award 2008.